No. I asked a sect 8 person about this once and was told this would be fraudulent. The rent cannot be higher than the contract price even if the tenant is willing to pay the difference.

Is that the theme song to the TV series COPS that I am hearing in the back ground?

Watcha Gonna Do, Watcha Do when they come for you.......

As others have said, this is illegal.

The whole idea behind Section 8 is the tenant cannot afford the place without help. That help comes from tax payer funds. So essentially what he's saying is he isn't satisfied with the free help he's getting and wants to do an "under the table" deal with you, getting more than our already generous subsidies are providing him.

I don't do "under the table" deals of any kind. If you've ever worked in a restaurant, you know that going "under the table" is gross. Only gross people and gross deals end up "under the table."

I too am a 23-year Army Veteran. It disgusts me that someone who supposedly once lived the Army values that include "honor" would attempt to cheat the system.

Desperate Tenant(s)

The trick is negotiate the "fair market rent" to a number you can live with. Accepting $$ above that amount from the tenant in some side deal will get you and them in trouble.

A couple of points here:

I won't accept Section 8 for good reason, but that is your personal decision to make

You can not do an under the table deal to get more rent.

Your applicant knows that. There is no way that he doesn't know that. So he is a person who is willing to cheat and game the system. I would consider that to make him a bad applicant. At best he is a cheat. At worst, he will get moved in and then refuse to pay more than the contract price so you won't actually be getting any higher rent; you will get what Section 8 is willing to pay, and you won't be able to get him out.

Look at it this way:

The amount Section 8 is willing to pay for him is based on the income he reported to them under penalty of perjury. If he can indeed pay more, then he has lied to Section 8 or he is lying to you.

Look at it this way:

The amount Section 8 is willing to pay for him is based on the income he reported to them under penalty of perjury. If he can indeed pay more, then he has lied to Section 8 or he is lying to you.

Years ago I had a section 8 tenant offer me the same kind of deal. I only qualify for X dollars according to section 8 guidelines, so I can pay you, LL. under the table, the difference.

I called section 8 and was informed that type of payment arrangement will get a section 8 tenant terminated.

Did this once and ended up evicting.

This veteran was likely discussing the HUD/VASH program; handled through your local VAMC. Housing provides a certain number of vouchers to be used by homeless veterans; they do the inspection on the property to see if meets their standards but instead of the tenant being assigned a HUD caseworker they work through the VA (typically through the Social Workers department).

The good news (at least through the VA I worked at) the social worker assigned to the veteran closely monitors their behavior and is the person the landlord can contact if there are issues. The goal is for the veteran to work toward being self-supporting (the voucher typically isn't a "forever" benefit) and once this is achieved to voucher is passed on to another homeless vet. The bad news is that it's a federal program and the Housing Authority decides what your rental is worth. And no; you can't accept extra money from the tenant to cover the extra rent. Also many of the homeless vets smoke like chimneys and at least some have other substance abuse issues.

I have had a very good learning experience. Not section 8 but an assistance program. The woman was over 3 months behind on rent. The lease started on the 19th of the month.

The program paid from the 1st of each month to the 1st. Even though she owed for the 11 days from the previous month the case worker refused to pay for those back 11 days.

I will never rent through an assistance program again.The case workers handle the court proceedings and any meditations while the tenant sits with a smug look on their faces.

And what is in the lease is virtually useless as neither the judge nor the case workers care. Quote: The case worker said "I am not the lease police." Anyway, the bottom line was I opted to take the 3 months rent as I would rather lose a bit of money yet get 3 months in hand.

When in a weak moment when I was considering S-8 I had an applicant try the I will pay you in cash the extra rent. My landlord mentor said No. Another landlord friend did and the applicant reported the landlord to S-8 and he was the guilty party. Never trust a S-8 crook.

@PB, I have a tenant that I'm trying to evict now that came via an assistance program -- YMCA. Once they throw the money at you, they don't care about you (LL) or tenant. Never again.